Combined wire reel and stretching machine



(No Model J HARPER COMBINED WIRE REEL AND STRETGHING MACHINE No. 443,442. Patented Dec. 23

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UNITE STATES, PATENT OFFICE.

. JOHN HARPER, OF FAIRFIELD, IOlVA.

COMBINED WIRE REEL AND STRETCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,442, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed September 12, 1890. Serial N0-364)709. (No model.)

To all whom. it- 'nmg concern-.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HARPER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairfield, in the county of Jefferson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Combined WVire Reels and Stretching Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates, generally, to devices for winding and unwinding wire for fences, and particularly to a combined wire reel and stretcher; and it has for its object to provide a simple, durable, and easily-operated device of the'kind or class named.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved combined wire reel and stretcher; and Fig. 2, a vertical crosssection through the same, showingthe shaft. The frame of my improved machine consists of the timbers B, having their forward ends rounded ofi or curvingto form runners, which may be shod with iron, if desired, whereby the machine may be easily moved from place, as desired, cross-pieces 0, connecting said runners or timbers, the uprights D, secured to the cross-pieces, the upper longitudinal side pieces E, connecting said uprights, and the upper cross-pieces F, connecting said pieces E. A brace arranged diagonally from one upright to the other may also be used to strengthen the frame, if desired.

A receptacle for tools is formed within the frame-work by boarding over or forming a bottom to the frame, as at a, between the runners.

The shaft G is journaled in any suitable boxes 17, secured to the upper faces of the longitudinal pieces E at a point near the forward ends of said pieces, said shaft having rigidly secured thereto the wheel 0, within the frame and immediately next to the crosspiece E on the side of the machine at which the crank-handle d is secured to the shaft, as clearly shown in the drawings. The wheel 0, as shown in Fig. 2, is formed with a short projection or pin e on one side, adapted to engage a recess f, formed in one end of the reel or spool H, in order to couple or clutch said wheel and spool rigidly together when reeling or unreeling the wire. The spool is mounted loosely on the shaft and is forced up to and into engagement with the pin on the wheel by means ofwashers g and a wedgeshaped pin h, which, after the necessary number of washers have been slipped on the shaft to perfect the engagement of the parts, is inserted 0r driven into a perforation in the shaft to hold the washers fast against the reel. Thisarrangement of the parts also enables me to use various sizes of reels, as desired, as it is evident it is only necessary to use a suf ficient number of washers to fill the space between the end of reel and the wedge to enable me to use the smallest reels and to decrease the number of washers of larger sizes.

To a pin 2 projecting from the inner side 'of the longitudinal cross-piece E, adjacent the wheel 0, but in rear of the same, I secure one end of an iron strap K and carry the other end forward under the wheel and bend it over the same and secure -it to the lever L, said lever being pivotallysecured at one end to said piece E and having a handle formed at its other end.

AlongsidetheleverL,on theupper surface of the piece E,I secure a toothed plate or ratchet M, whereby upon forcing the lever backward or toward the rear of the frame-the strap will be drawn against the periphery of the wheel and the speed of the latter retarded, thus preventing the too rapid unwinding of the wire from the spool in paying the same out. The lever is held in whatever position it may be set by the teeth on plate or ratchet M, so that the action of the strap will be even and uniform 011 the wheel and the wire unwound at the desired speed for use.

A chain N has secured to one of its ends a straight pin and to its other end a flat L- shaped bar of iron m, forming a hook the end of which is split or forked. This chain is to be used when it is desired to tighten the wire before fastening the same to the posts in building a fence, the pin being inserted in a perforation in the shaft G near the handle on same and the chain given a few turns around said shaft to prevent its unwinding or slipping. The wire is slipped into the forked end of the iron at and the shaft is rotated, thus winding the chain on the shaft and tightening the wire, which, because the it. The strain on the wire will bend the same slightly, as shown in Fig. 1, between the prongs of the iron 772. When, however, itis desired thus to stretch or tighten the wire, the reel or spool 1's first freed from the wheel 0 by withdrawing the wedge 7L and removin g the washers and then forcing the spool away from the wheel c, thus disengaging it from the pin on said wheel, when the shaft maybe i freely rotated.

The spool is held against turning, and thus unwinding the wire, by means of a sharppointed hook n, loosely secured to the crosspiece I at the fronten d of the machine, which is driven into the coil of wire on the spool, as shown in Fig. 1. In the rear cross-piece F a slot )1 is formed, through which extends the spindle of a screwpulley P, said spindle en tering the end of a sliding baror lever R- and being secured thereto in any desired manner.

Inwinding or unwinding the wire onto or off thespool the wire passes between the cheekpieces of the pulley, and by moving the bar or lever back and forth the length of the slot or the length of the spool, it the latter is shorter than the slot, the wire is carried back and forth and wound on or unwound from the spool evenly and uniformly. The uprights D are perforated at suitable distances apart, as at s, in order to move the upper part of the frame, which carries the reel up or down the uprights, and secure the same by bolts thereto, so that the wire may be paid out at the proper height for the different lines of wire forming the fence.

The machine maybe hcldlirmly in any desired position or location at any part of the field, so as to stand the strain on the same in tightening the wire, by driving a heavy pin through the opening tin the floor into the ground, said floor being strengthened at the opening by a perforated block 11, secured thereto. Thus it will be seen that I provide a machine which will stand the strain in I tightening wire at any reasonable. elevation, that it is casilyoperated and of. few parts, thus lessening the liability of getting out of repair, and that it can be easily and readily moved from place to place 011 its runners, as the exigencies of the work demand, obviating the necessity of transporting it by vehicles ists when wheels are employed and the ground is rough or broken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a wire reeling and stretching machine, of the frame mounted on 5 runners and having an adjustable upper portion provided with a slotted rear cross-piece, the shaft journaled to said upper port-ion, a wheel having a laterally-projecting pin, a i spool having a recess in one end adapted to i receive said pin, means for forcingand retaining said spool againstsaid wheel, abrake for said wheel, a screw-pulley having its spindle extending through said slotted cross-piece, and a sliding bar secured to the endof said spindle, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a wire reeling and stretching machine, of the frame mounted on runners and having an adjustable npperportion provided with a slotted rear cross-piece, the shaft journaled to said upper portion, a wheel havingalaterall y-proj cctin g pin,a spool havinga recess in one end adapted to receive spool against said wheel, a brake for said wheel, a screw-pulley having its spindle extending through said slotted cross-piece, a sliding bar secured to the end of said spindle, and a sharp-pointed hook loosely secured to the front cross-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HARPER. Witnesses:

DAVID B. \Vinsox, Janus M. HINKLE.

5 and the danger of its tipping over, which exu said pin, means for forcing and retaining said 

